Carleton students launch divestment campaign
- view Carleton University divestment campaign video on-line
- Photo: Israeli apartheid wall on Palestinian lands.
Carleton students have released a report detailing how the Carleton University Pension fund invests in companies involved in violations of human rights and of international law.
The report was created by Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA Carleton), who are launching a campaign to end Carleton’s unethical investments and adopt a socially responsible investment policy.
BAE Systems, L-3 Communications, Motorola, Northrop Grumman and Tesco supermarkets are the five companies profiled in the report. The report documents how these companies manufacture weapons and weapons components that are used to kill and maim Palestinian civilians, that support the illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and that perpetuate Israel’s illegal siege of the Gaza strip.
“Students are appalled to learn that Carleton is affiliated with companies providing support for illegal military occupation” says SAIA – Carleton member Yafa Jarrar. “We thought our University was guided by more than just the balance sheet.”
Carleton Faculty who have heard about SAIA Carleton’s campaign have been shocked to learn their pension fund is tied into such unethical investments.
“I do not want my pension fund profiting from the sale of Hellfire missiles and Apache Helicopters,” say Trevor Purvis, who teaches Law at Carleton. “By investing in the firms, not only does Carleton violate its own ethical principles, but it essentially makes Carleton complicit in breaches of international law and human rights violations.”
The divestment campaign will be launched this Thursday with an informational discussion featuring members of SAIA – Carleton, Faculty for Palestine, and the Carleton South African Anti-Apartheid Action Group. It will be held at 7 PM, in 360 Tory Building, Carleton University. All are welcome to attend.
To support our campaign, sign our hard-copy petition at the event on Thursday night, or look for us in the Atrium. If you are a member of a Carleton student group, club, association, or union that you think might endorse the campaign, please contact saia.carleton(at)gmail.com. For more background on our campaign, visit carleton.saia.ca
* link to Divestment Document (PDF)
articles
* Carleton’s war portfolio: Students demand divestment from apartheid
by Aidan MacDonald | January 22, 2010
read full article on-line at rabble.ca
* Looking back at Carleton’s divestment from South Africa
By Alroy Fonseca | January 22, 2010
read full article on-line at rabble.ca
